Funerals

The time following bereavement is always a sad and difficult one. It is also a time when many decisions have to be made. At St Mark’s we are always ready to support people at this time whether it be guiding them through the planning of a funeral or through our Bereavement Team who are there with a friendly face and a listening ear.

There is no churchyard at St Mark’s but there is a Garden of Remembrance and everyone who lives in the Parish is entitled to have their ashes buried by their local parish priest regardless of whether they attended church or not.

The parish priest can take the service whether it is in the church, the Crematorium or the Local Authority Cemetery (or a combination), again regardless of whether you or the deceased attended church or not, and will be happy to discuss options with you.

Some people like to plan their own funeral well before there is any real need to think about it. This is sometimes done to ensure that they can have the sort of service they would like, but often more importantly, to relieve their family of the worry of deciding what to do at a time when they are coping with loss.

If you would like some help with this then again, the parish clergy will be happy to discuss it with you.

Memorial Service

A Memorial Service is a service of remembering and giving thanks for the life of a loved one and is usually held some time after a funeral, often when the funeral, for whatever reason, cannot be held in the church, or the area local to the bereaved. The service can be flexible in its content and therefore tailored to the person concerned. It is also an option that some families choose when the funeral itself is to be a private family occasion. The memorial service is then the time when the wider family and friends can say their farewells and remember the deceased.

The parish clergy are always happy to support people at this time and to discuss options.

At St Mark’s we hold an annual Memorial Service on or around All Souls’ Day (2nd November) for everyone who has lost someone in the recent past. It is an occasion when people can come together, with family and frends, to remember loved ones, to light a candle and join together with others in the same circumstances in the presence of God.

If you would like to be notified about this service please contact the Parish Office.

More information about Funerals and Memorial Services can be found on the Church of England web site by clicking here